Bhopal’s Fake Encounter: MP Government puts on hold cash reward for cops : Earlier, the Government of Madhya Pradesh had decided to give the cash rewards to the police personnel who had participated in the encounter killing of eight SIMI terrorists. But, yesterday, the Madhya Pradesh government has decided to put on hold the cash reward for the police personnel because now it seems that the encounter was fake.

On Saturday, An official said that the government cannot give cash rewards to anyone till the completion of the inquiry.

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh each for those policemen involved in the shootout. He had made the announcement on the occasion of Foundation Day of the state on 1st November, a day after the encounter of 8 SIMI terrorists.

Abdul Jabbar who is a social activist associated with Bhopal Gas Leak Tragedy victims, said that the government should at least wait till completion of several enquiries it has instituted to probe the encounter to justify the reward.

Transparency International’s Ajay Dube had also raised the question on announcing the reward at a time when the state is under the scanner over the veracity of the encounter.

Ajay Dube said that the government should have waited for the outcome of the judicial enquiry it has instituted into the encounter. Announcing rewards for policemen before the conclusion of inquiry to giving them a clean chit and to influence those involved in it.

8 terrorists of the banned outfit SIMI were killed in an alleged encounter on the outskirts of the city hours after they were accused of killing a head constable and pulling off an audacious escape from the high-security central jail in the wee hours of 31st October.

The state government has ordered a judicial probe into the jail-break and the alleged encounter and the probe of this case will be headed by retired High Court Judge Justice S K Pandey.